I need a daily driver. How are the 2006 RL’s? Solid as rock I’ve heard. Any specific worries? I know the TL’s only.

There is a guy in town with a 2006 RL AWD. I think it’s a tech package since the collision mitigation warning light is on (I think). He mentioned that in the add before, but now that’s gone. Correct me if I’m wrong on the tech package.

I have not seen it in person yet, but it looks excellent.

$5500. 150k miles. Interior and Leather looks great.
. Body looks great all around. He says he has put a ton into the car, but hasn’t told me what. He swapped the run flat system, so that’s not a worry for me. Not stock wheels but nice ones. I think it’s his baby. But it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast…

It’s very inexpensive … I think.

tell me about them please. Anything I should ask him? Transmissions in these? Much appreciated.

(Hood looks unlatched)

 

You’ll need a look at all the service records but it looks like a great deal. By now it should have had a new timing belt or two based on age. I have an 06 and love it. Mine doesn’t have that same front grill thing on the logo. I believe that’s the radar so that would confirm it’s the tech model.

Things you might need soon are: an AC compressor, new struts, replacement speakers, alternator, power steering pump, valve adjustment, plugs, and rear main seal. That’s what I’ve had done or still need to do (rear seal) for my 06. If he has records of any of that then you’re that much more ahead of the game.

Since the leather is in good shape, it sounds like it was garaged. I’d say if all the rest is sorted this could be a $10k car in the current market.

 

Thanks. All that seems reasonable for me to do at the current price. If struts haven’t been done, swar bar links, plugs, always timing belts but maybe he did that recently, valve adjustment. AC compressor I don’t know what that costs. Plus the rear seal.

I have a cheap shop in the city (not as cheap as they were) and a street mechanic that’s great. I buy the parts he does the installation. And there is in Acura dude in the hood that redoes them and sells them that does timing belts for $300 if I supply the parts.

With 250,000 miles on my 2003 TL-s the alternator was always perfect and AC never failed. I also never needed a seal after beating the hell out if that car. But the transmission blew, ignition coils, HID ballasts, Power steering pump, and a ton of other stuff went. No HID system would last until I installed the cheapest thing ever and it lasted forever.

 

The radar shield is on the grill, so it's a tech model with CMBS. Looks like the center console and door armrests have wrinkling leather.

 

If my eye is correct, looks like he may have already replaced or covered the center console armrest with aftermarket schlock. But that's easy to fix. And he has perfectly clear headlight lenses and an intact glovebox door, which at that age is impressive and implies a garage-kept car.

Transmissions in these are no issue at all. That's the TL.

 

Thanks again folks. I need to contact him and see if he did any of the stuff listed by the first guy that responded. The rear seal looks like a huge job. The rest is to be expected. I need to get him on the phone and really ask “what did you do it?” His responses stink.

 

Mike's experience notwithstanding, I'm not aware of the rear main seal being a common problem on these cars. I wouldn't stress out about it unless there's some evidence that it's a problem on this particular example.

 

To be completely honest, I see no drips on my garage floor. Only Acura had told me about the rear main seal. I used Lucas Engine oils stop leak to address the “leak” and still haven’t seen any drips. I am smelling oil after I pull into the garage however. My mechanic says it could likely be the oil pump. He says these engines often have oil pump leaks. It should be much easier to fix than the rear main seal.

 

I had an 05 and sold it in 2019 with 140k mikes. It was a great car. These cars had lots of issues, search the forum and you’ll see, but by this time, the car should be well sorted. He should have a mountain of paperwork.

How times have changed, I struggled to get $3k for my car back then. Nobody understood what the car really was, diamond in the rough.

one thing to consider, with so many miles, you could be looking at a new transmission, and potentially engine soon, maybe around 200-225k miles.. They dont last forever.

 

I have a mechanic that will come with me. Honestly I’m driving a 2017 Impala Premier at the moment and that has a burning oil smell. No idea where that’s coming from. A lot of folks seem to have that rear seal go. At the price of $5000 that leaves me a lot of money to put into it. Because my cash set aside for a car is like $13,000. I’d fix it. A Honda Civic with 100,000 miles on it is $15,000 right now in CT. No lie.

I’ve got to get to the car. Like I said the guy isn’t all that communicative.

 

Others opinions on this? You could be an expert, but I’m going with my experience and I thought these cars did not have transmission issues and an engine? Beat the tar out of my TL’s to 250,000 miles they were not close to needing an engine. The engine would do 400k imho in my TLs. But TL’s need Tranny’s

this scares me. I do have an option of a perfectly taken car of 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI with under 100k, because my sister bought a new car. Totally dealer maintained. She did everything they said. Plus 40mpg. Gas is killing me right now. I just hate tin cans and don’t want to drive one and I have a bad lower back so I need a real seat.

 

Folks, rlerman above says to expect to get a new engines and tranny at 200k?? What’s your take on that,

my mechanic and I were going to look at it

 

didn't say to expect it, just potentially. Any car with 200k miles could have issues. Transmission more likely. These cars definitely had torque converter issues along with failing motor mounts. Too bad you won’t likely be able to tell how much oil it’s burning. Search around and you’ll find plenty of issues with that vintage of cars. Most were ironed out by 07, but 05/06 were the Guinea pigs. Like I said, he should have a mountain of paperwork.

You do what you are comfortable with.

 

I think they're great cars, although my interior and speakers are ragged. Otherwise, mine still runs smooth and fast.

 

Even if the rear main is leaking, unless it's dumping a quart a night, I'd just check it often, top it off every week or two, maybe slide a pan under the car if it is parked in a garage. To fix it, you're looking at about $900, give it take, not $5,000.

 

Why many issues? I'd consider this car very reliable

 

I had a moment of panic yesterday, until I looked at my wristwatch & remembered...good ol' Swiss clockwork!

 

I have read your thread with interest. I have a 06 RL bought in 13 with 100k and now have 150k. I maintain meticulously and have all records, even from previous owner. This is a great car. Extremely comfortable, a driver’s car. I changed timing belt myself shortly after purchase. Quite involved but internet has good videos on how to do it. I would require documented maintenance records before buying. If poorly maintained could be expensive down the road.

 

Motor mounts, yes. They were a vibration-absorbing design made of rubber and viscous goo, and they wear out and fail. (If you plan to keep the car, get OEM mounts anyway. The aftermarket ones let too much vibration through, unbecoming of a luxury car.)

Torque converter, I've never either seen or heard of that one before. Some people mistakenly think that because some other Honda/Acura automatic transmissions had those problems, but the RL's five-speed (shared with, I believe, the Pilot) did not.

 

All 05 + RLs, 07-08 TLs and some other models used the RL 5AT or it's inner components in some variation which was solidly bulletproof unless severely abused or neglected. I think it was designed to handle like 400 crank HP and ain't no way that is going to happen unless you're boosted.

 

Problems I’ve had with my 05:

exterior door handle lock sensors don’t work when it’s raining/recently rained or washed the car.

glove box cover is gross and bubbled. The soft touch they put on it gets nasty after all these years in the sun.

bought mine with a burnt valve and like 210K miles. Replaced the engine with a certified 60K engine and it’s been amazing ever since. Your engine mounts may need replacing. If you go that route, get genuine Acura mounts. Aftermarket are too stiff and will cause vibration and drone inside the cabin. Ask me how I know.

the radio and temperature display on top of the dash would flicker off occasionally. Easy fix. Pop it up, remove some screws and heat up the solder joints that look bad. It’s an easy fix.

That’s really it outside of regular maintenance items. I love my car.

 

The door handles are really finicky with water. When washing at home, I would have to move the key far away from the car so the door handles wouldn't keep locking and unlocking. I never had the glovebox bubbling because my RL was always parked in the garage but apparently the plastic material is not durable in UV and breaks down after a few years in the sun.

 

Said it before, but I recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant for anyone whose glovebox door isn't trashed yet. Think of it as sunscreen for your plastics and rubber.

 

Those RLs definitely look to have delicate interiors. Hmm. May pick up some 303 for my TL, now that you pointed that out.

 

yeah I’m not impressed by the quality of the “leather” or the glove box, but the car has been great for the few years that I’ve had it mechanically. Only had to replace the battery and the blown engine that I knew about when I bought it.

 

same here. It can be annoying.

 

Agree, but since it's a touch-to-lock/unlock system, it's simply doing what it's designed to do. You swipe your hand past it and it actuates.

Now what's annoying is when just enough water gets into it at the high-pressure car wash that the touch system doesn't work until the next day when it dries out. No biggie, you can still lock it with the interior door switch, just another minor irritant.

To the "delicate interiors" comment: Not particularly. In my experience, there are just a few specific areas: the center armrest upholstery, nicely and cheaply fixed with a real leather replacement by an eBay guy in Brownsville, TX; the door armrest upholstery, somewhat more involved to replace but slower to fail; and that damned melting glovebox door, which responds only to preventive medicine.

 

@TonyCD You’re kidding, right? Do a quick search of posts using “torque converter” in the 2G RL forum and see how many hits you get. Shudder at 30 mph. I had mine replaced under warranty, I probably posted on it.

 

I'm sorry you had to put up with that problem. But a scan of forum posts is not a statistically valid survey. The data posted in the 2011 Consumer Reports auto issue is. Here's their survey chart. As you can see from the red dots, all pre-Beak years of the RL rated Much Better Than Average in avoiding both major and minor transmission problems.